


New Year's Day

by Zephyrcove



Series: don't be a stranger [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Inspired by Taylor Swift, New Year's Day by Taylor Swift, New Year's Eve, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28501764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zephyrcove/pseuds/Zephyrcove
Summary: percabeth x Taylor Swift "New Year's Day" songficThe darkened sidewalks downstairs are still alive with drunken tourists and loud New Yorkers making the odyssey out of Times Square. Girls carrying their shoes through the lobby and men in comically oversized hats and glasses trek out onto the streets of Manhattan as the city recovers from the drop of the ball ringing in the new year.Percy groaned from his spot face up on the couch as he looked around bleerily at the post-party chaos of his apartment. The floor was scattered with glittery confetti, polaroid snapshots of the night before, and drips of wax by the windows where the sparkler candles had gotten out of hand. Swiping a hand over his face he pushed himself up to his elbows to better survey the room. His guests had left about an hour after the ball dropped, Grover, patting him on the shoulder as he collapsed on the couch, being the final one to go. Now he was just alone in his apartment, overwhelmed by the alcohol and the bits of the evening that were slowly coming back to him.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Series: don't be a stranger [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2068509
Kudos: 33
Collections: percy and annabeth





	New Year's Day

**Author's Note:**

> Days before New Years I had the muse to write a percabeth x Taylor Swift "New Year's Day" songfic and 2 days after NYE I finally finished it. It's a bit angstier than I intended but I love this song and had to get something out there before it was too awkwardly far after New Years lol
> 
> Anyways plz listen to "New Year's Day" I beg of you, it's a beautiful song
> 
> Cheers to 2021 and don't be a stranger!  
> Find me on tumblr @zephyrcove and @returnoftheolympian

_2 am, NYD_

The darkened sidewalks downstairs are still alive with drunken tourists and loud New Yorkers making the odyssey out of Times Square. Girls carrying their shoes through the lobby and men in comically oversized hats and glasses trek out onto the streets of Manhattan as the city recovers from the drop of the ball ringing in the new year.

Percy groaned from his spot face up on the couch as he looked around bleerily at the post-party chaos of his apartment. The floor was scattered with glittery confetti, polaroid snapshots of the night before, and drips of wax by the windows where the sparkler candles had gotten out of hand. Swiping a hand over his face he pushed himself up to his elbows to better survey the room. His guests had left about an hour after the ball dropped, Grover, patting him on the shoulder as he collapsed on the couch, being the final one to go. Now he was just alone in his apartment, overwhelmed by the alcohol and the bits of the evening that were slowly coming back to him. 

He cringed as he recalled his last interaction with Annabeth. His words, born from champagne and his fear of change, and the hurt in her eyes as she tore off through his apartment. She must have left then, moments before the ball dropped, and he could kick himself for the way that had played out. Percy sat a few more moments in the silence of his loft, staring out the vaulted windows and picking up the traffic lights and scattered shouts of the people on the streets below. 

As he reached over to pull the string on the lamp beside his sofa, resigning himself to an uncomfortable night on the leather cushions and a wicked hangover in the morning, he heard a clinking sound from somewhere in his apartment. He shot up and scrambled to look over his shoulder and stopped when he saw her outline a couple feet away from him, garbage bag in hand. Percy could make out the smudged mascara under his best friend’s eyes, but she looked as pretty as ever standing there in that dress, with the glow of the lamplight and the city reflecting off his windows.

“Annabeth.” He didn’t know what else to say to her. She was still here. Hours later she was here and she was beautiful and she was cleaning up the bottles from his hardwood floors for no reason. She stayed, despite it all.

“Hey.” She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she set the black plastic bag down, its contents clinking against the wood. “Figured you might want to get a headstart on the mess. Not carry it too much further into the New Year, ya know?”

Percy blinked up at her, still in disbelief that she was standing there in front of him amongst the glitter and the remains of the chaotic night. “I thought…”

Annabeth looked down and inhaled before moving to sit gingerly beside him on the couch. Her toes nudged another stray bottle and they both watched it spin as they sat in silence, knowing they had things to say but not yet knowing how they would get them out. Her fingers danced in her lap and drew his attention. 

“I’m sorry,” Percy whispered. She looked to him behind her curtain of curls, pushing them out of the way as she turned to face him. Their knees bumped and a pink flush spread on both of their cheeks.

“Earlier… before the ball drop… I don’t know why I said any of that. I think I got too caught up in what that––er––change would mean for us, and I started worrying about what would happen if I lost you and I...couldn’t deal with that. Losing you. For any reason. I couldn’t survive that. But it’s not that I didn’t _want_ to––gods I how could I not want to––but my fucked up head said it could lead to losing you and that isn’t something I could risk. I was lost and scared, and I turned you away...” She stopped her fidgeting hands and covered his fingers with her own.

The crinkle in her brow deepened as she watched him think, and his eyes roved her face another time. None of the excuses he had built up as a reason to stop her could stack up against the possibility of losing her. His best friend, his warrior, his everything. He felt her squeeze his hand three times, pulling him gently from his thoughts. Percy glanced down to the bottles bagged in plastic on the floor beside them. She had stayed and she was there, more than a memory and more important than anything he had ever known. 

“You stayed.”

He felt the static bristling between them as he drew closer to her, cautiously meeting her eyes before he shut his own and felt her eyelashes brush his cheek as their lips met. He intertwined their fingers in his lap where they’d been resting and his other hand came to her hip, solidifying her place in his arms, in his apartment, in his life. Annabeth’s slender fingers made their way up to his messy hair, ghosting over his neck and gracing the sensitive skin behind his ear on the way. Her lips met his with a matched passion and they kissed with the ebb and flow of two people who have been so close to this for so long. 

Percy couldn’t imagine why he’d pushed her away earlier when she’d boldly suggested they do this at midnight. He was two hours late but coming to the same conclusion she had. That they were dancing around eachother for no reason, puzzle pieces that were a perfect fit if only they’d find eachothers’ right side. She pushed another firm kiss against his lips before slowly pulling back, her forehead resting against his. 

“Percy… Of course I stayed. I’ll always stay. When it’s hard, or it’s wrong, or we’re making mistakes. I’ll be here. As long as you want me to.” Annabeth’s soft voice was soothing and full of love and the final piece clicked into place in Percy’s mind. He pushed aside the forgotten bag of bottles as he slid closer to her on the couch. Hands cupping her face, his lips ghosting hers, he whispered, “Then I will hold onto you.”


End file.
